In a first-of-its-kind partnership, the American Diabetes Association and IBM Watson Health will be providing app developers with access to diabetes data to facilitate the creation of technology that will help patients better manage and monitor the disease.
Felicia Gans 29 Jun, 2016
The app contest, announced on June 12, will challenge developers to use cognitive computing to create applications that help people with diabetes, as well as their family members, caretakers, and physicians, said Kyu Rhee, Watson’s chief health officer.
“We’re able to help translate big data into a big insight to a key stakeholder in the health delivery system for diabetes care and prevention,” he said, pointing out that these applications can be used by healthcare providers, entrepreneurs, or researchers.
“But fundamentally,” he added, “this is about helping these patients, the people with diabetes.”
Of the estimated 165,000 health applications currently on the market, about 1,000 relate to the treatment or prevention of diabetes, and according to a release from Watson, that quantity hasn’t always translated into quality. Through this contest, leaders from both Watson and the ADA hope that will change.
